The Assassin and the King - SOTUS

The People of the Sands

Deserted Ravine

Night POV

He watched quietly from his hiding place, controlling his anger when he saw the children sitting in a group, left under the glaring sun. Around 20 of them, wearing simple clothing varying in ages, the youngest seemed around 5 while the oldest looked to be in her late teens. Even from this distance, he could tell they were ours, they sat silently watching their captors.

He was headed North as instructed when he saw the sand cloud in the distance through his spy glass, he had seen many before and would have ignored it but something had prickled in the back of his mind.

He watched the large group walking around the ravine, some resting and eating the rest changing. A few tents scattered around, plans and information would be kept in there, should he try his luck and sneak inside one?

This was a secluded area, out of the way but it seemed they knew about this place. He watched as they moved bushes and pulled out packages and large crates and carrying the clothing they were changing into.

The soldiers changed out of their uniforms bearing the northern seal into ones used by travellers and caravan people. The outfits made of soft colours, scarves to cover their faces and the light footwear used to walk easily in the slipping sands.

A loud scream rent the air, he turned to see one of the soldiers still in heavy armour stomp on a child's hand as a girl shouted for the man to let him go.

"He just wanted water." She yelled.

The soldier backhanded her, before he could turn and leave the girl grabbed his hand, sinking her teeth into the flesh and drawing blood. He slapped her a few more times until she fell to the ground, I grabbed the rock when I saw him put his foot on her arm and heard the crack as he broke the bone.

I don't know how she did it, not one sound escaped her lips. She yelled when someone else was hurt but nothing came out when the pain was hers. I readied a dagger when the man moved towards her again.

A command shouted from the opening of a tent nearby made the man stop, the higher-ranking soldier said a few words, making him move away. The other children used that moment to hurry to the two and pull them back to the group, sitting together as they spoke silently. I move back quietly, I need to get a message to Arthit, he would know what to do.

~~~~~~~~~~

Osm POV

"Did you forget how he saved us?"

There is murmuring around the room as the others in the room discuss what I'm asking.

"No father I didn't." I answer. "But that was once several years ago and we have paid him back 10-fold."

I understood my father wanted to repay him; we still give him our best goods at half price but this time he was going against orders from the Clan Head.

"He is an elder. Yacht brought this on himself."

Just because he was an elder didn't make him always right, and just because Yacht is younger does not mean he will always be wrong.

"We will obey Lord Kimli."

"Father, Yacht is the Clan Head." I try to reason again. "Not only that, its orders from the Capital, the King himself. If we don't help in a time of need, its treason."

"Do not use that word lightly, you don't know the dark days we have suffered because of that word."

I look to my older brother but he looks away without meeting my eyes. He has never gone against my father and I don't think he will help me now.